This Mid-Term Review (MTR) examines the progress achieved by the World Bank Group (WBG) in addressing three areas for attention identified in MOPAN’s 2023 Assessment. These include: (i) Strengthening One WBG collaboration; (ii) Promoting more coherent and results-driven partnerships; and (iii) Positioning knowledge for impact. These issues are addressed in the context of the WBG’s Country Engagement Model, the process through which they work with client countries. The MTR considers how reforms introduced since 2023 have addressed these challenges, the extent to which they are being embedded in country engagement and operations, and the opportunities and risks for sustaining change.
The World Bank Group (WBG) has made progress in addressing these institutional challenges. The scale and pace of reforms have been notable, with several measures targeting longstanding institutional barriers that had constrained earlier reform efforts. The reforms are also highly relevant to wider priorities for Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) reform, including efforts to work more effectively as a system. Although implementation remains at a relatively early stage, tangible changes are emerging in how the WBG engages clients, organises knowledge and expertise, and designs and implements its Country Partnership Frameworks (CPFs).
The reform agenda has evolved from a broad programme of reforms to a more integrated delivery model. Since the launch of the Evolution Roadmap in 2023, the WBG has introduced a new WBG Scorecard, implemented a new structure for managing knowledge and partnerships under the Knowledge Compact, convened a WBG Guarantee Platform, launched the Global Collaborative Co-financing Platform (GCCFP) and updated its Country Engagement Model (CEM). Since 2025, job creation has emerged as the overarching organising principle for WBG activities, underpinned by investments in human and physical capital, stronger business-enabling environments and private investment at scale. The WBG Scorecard, corporate targets, Knowledge Bank, Guarantee Platform and GCCFP increasingly provide complementary mechanisms to link country engagement, finance, knowledge and partnerships to measurable results.
Progress in Addressing Areas for Attention
Tangible steps have been taken towards more strategic One WBG collaboration in operations. Whereas the Cascade Approach was implemented on a transactional basis, recent reforms have targeted more strategic collaboration upstream. The One WBG Scorecard indicators and corporate priorities provide common objectives that help frame CPFs. Knowledge Verticals have brought together World Bank and IFC technical expertise to identify scalable solutions, while the WBG Guarantee Platform offers a single window for accessing guarantee instruments across the three institutions. Joint management and decision-making arrangements are emerging across operational teams, supported by co-location and shared leadership.
The WBG is making progress towards more coherent and results-focused partnerships. Knowledge Verticals are promoting more deliberate and streamlined partnerships, increasingly focused on evidence-based, scalable solutions. The GCCFP, complemented by expanded co-financing agreements, mutual-reliance frameworks and reduced transaction costs, is strengthening incentives for MDBs and other financing partners to work together as a system. Co-financing has increased substantially, exceeding
IDA/IBRD commitments in 2025. Country Compacts are also emerging as important mechanisms for strengthening country ownership, coordination and selectivity, providing a common framework for partners to contribute in line with their comparative advantage. Together, these reforms provide a more coherent basis for aligning partnerships with country priorities and measurable results.
The Knowledge Compact represents a substantive step towards positioning knowledge for greater impact. Knowledge Verticals bring together expertise from across the WBG to identify integrated, scalable public-private solutions, while Knowledge Horizontals strengthen knowledge management, learning and institutional incentives. AI-enabled platforms, including Knowledge 360 and Data 360, are improving access to curated evidence, data and operational experience to inform country and project decisions. New initiatives, including Knowledger and the WBG Academy, seek to strengthen knowledge uptake and measure its contribution to institutional reform and development results. Although these reforms are still maturing, they address longstanding challenges in knowledge fragmentation, accessibility and the systematic use of evidence in operations.
The new Country Engagement Model has become a vehicle for embedding broader corporate reforms into country engagement. The updated model strengthens the line of sight between country priorities, corporate targets and operational choices. CPFs are increasingly selective and outcome-oriented, with CPF outcomes linked to Scorecard indicators and the Jobs Agenda. Joint Country Representatives and shared leadership arrangements strengthen One WBG engagement with clients, while the Annual Business Planning Exercise (ABPE) provides a mechanism for adapting longer-term CPFs to evolving country needs and portfolio performance. These changes represent important progress in moving reforms beyond institutional structures and procedures towards operational implementation.
Overall, reforms are increasingly contributing to operational changes and initial progress towards institutional results. Structural and procedural changes are being reflected in how the WBG delivers. Emerging results include stronger uptake of digital tools, increased co-financing and guarantees, and more selective, outcome-focused CPFs. Progress has been enabled by strong senior management ownership, cross-functional engagement, clearer institutional accountabilities and decision-making arrangements, and iterative approaches to reform. These factors strengthen the prospects for sustained changes in ways of working, although their longer-term contribution to development results and organisational effectiveness remains to be seen.
Considerations for Ongoing Reform
The WBG should now focus on consolidating reforms and clarifying how new structures and processes interact in practice. Despite the progress achieved, important questions remain about the institutional arrangements, incentives and resources needed to support implementation.
A clearer mechanism is needed to balance corporate priorities, global challenges and country needs. The Country Engagement Model remains fundamentally country-driven, but greater clarity is needed on how CPFs accommodate country priorities and global challenges that fall outside the scope of the Jobs Agenda and current corporate priority programmes. The ABPE has the potential to strengthen evidence-based portfolio management and maintain the responsiveness of longer-term CPFs. However, its objectives, criteria for addressing emerging needs, means of integrating Advisory Services and Analytics and arrangements for partner engagement require further refinement to enable meaningful adjustments to country programmes.
Stronger mechanisms are needed to channel knowledge and expertise to country teams. Although the Knowledge Verticals are positioned to support knowledge curation and scalable solutions, country teams continue to face uncertainty about available products and services, how to access expertise and how competing requests will be prioritised and resourced. The arrangements for integrating knowledge into CPF preparation remain under development, while the ABPE has not yet fully delivered a more selective and demand-driven approach to identifying targeted ASA. There is also scope to strengthen how knowledge contributes to CPF results frameworks and corporate targets, particularly through policy and institutional reforms.
Further opportunities remain to strengthen collaboration across the multilateral system. The GCCFP and mutual-reliance arrangements have provided a stronger basis for MDB co-financing, but country-level awareness remains uneven. Furthermore, there is scope to enhance more systematic collaboration with UN entities, particularly for global challenges and Country Compacts where delivery requires complementary mandates and expertise. Transaction costs and procedural barriers continue to constrain collaboration with United Nations entities.
Managing the transition to new ways of working will be critical for sustaining reforms. Although staff broadly endorse the reform trajectory, implementation has created uncertainty as institutional restructuring has sometimes preceded the finalisation of operational arrangements. Changes in priorities, guidance and processes have generated additional workloads, compounded by staffing reductions and increased expectations for efficiency. A more consistent approach to change management, clearer accountabilities, predictable resourcing and sustained communication will be important. Assumptions about productivity gains from digitalisation and streamlined teams should also be tested.
The WBG has taken important steps towards embedding a more integrated One WBG operating model. The reforms are relevant and credible responses to the previous MOPAN assessment and wider MDB reform priorities.
The next phase should focus on completing institutional changes, consolidating operational processes and demonstrating how reforms contribute to efficiency, delivery at scale and better results for clients. More consolidated reporting, complemented by independent evaluations, audits and client feedback, will be important for assessing whether the changes introduced are sustainable and contribute to organisational effectiveness.